Basil-Lime Fruit Salad

I made this for a neighborhood bbq over the weekend. It was a huge hit! The original recipe called for 1/2 cup sugar, but I reduced it to 1/4 since the fruit has enough sugar. I love the fruits in this recipe, but you could use any fruits of your choice. Next time I'd add blueberries too.

Source: adapted from Cooking Light March 2008
Serves: 12

Ingredients:
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup basil leaves, packed
1 tbl lime rind, grated
4 cups pineapple, cubed (1 medium)
3 cups strawberries, quartered (1 lb)
4 kiwi, peeled and sliced (1.5 cups)
2 cups mangoes, peeled and cubed (2 large)

Directions:

1. Make the simple syrup by combining the sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cook for a minute until the sugar is dissolved.



2. Remove pan from heat, stir in the basil and lime rind. Cool. Strain to discard the solids.



3. Combine the fruits in a large bowl. Drizzle with the simple syrup. Toss gently.

Frozen Banana Bites

Source: Seasalthwithfood
Servings: Makes about 12 bites

Ingredients:
2 bananas, peeled and sliced (about 3/4 inch chunks)
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
pinch of sea salt
unsweetened shredded coconut

Directions:

1. Place the banana chunks on a large plate lined with parchment paper. Place in the freezer for about an hour.


2. Spread the shredded coconut on a large plate.


3. Combine the chocolate chips, peanut butter and sea salt in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for one minute; stir until smooth.


4. Dip the frozen banana chunks in the chocolate-peanut butter mixture. Then place it on the shredded coconut and roll lightly to coat all sides. Repeat with remainder of the chunks. Transfer to the freezer for another hour before serving.

Kristy's Cinnamon Ring

Ingredients:
1 can Pillsbury Reduced-Fat Cinnamon rolls w/icing
1 8oz. pkg. lite cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp light sour cream
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Heat oven to 350. Grease 9” pie plate. Unroll cinnamon rolls and recoil around pie plate. Set icing aside. Beat cream cheese, sugar and other ingredients. Spread between cinnamon rolls. Bake for 25-35 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Nuke icing in microwave a few seconds until easily drizzled. Drizzle over rolls and serve warm.

Pumpkin Layer Cake

Source: Kraft Foods

Ingredients:
1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix
1 15oz. can pumpkin, divided
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup oil
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, divided
1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 8oz. tub cool whip, thawed
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions:
Heat oven to 350.

Beat cake mix, 1 cup pumpkin, milk, oil, eggs and 1 tsp. spice in large bowl. Mix until well blended. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9-inch round pans.

Bake 28-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans to cool rack, cool completely.

Beat cream cheese in medium bowl until creamy. Add sugar, remaining pumpkin and spice; mix well. Gently stire in cool whip. Cut each cake layer horizontally in half; stack on serving plate, spreading cream cheese filling between layers. (Do not frost top layer). Drizzle with caramel topping just before serving; top with nuts. Refrigerate leftovers.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I love this recipe, especially the cinnamon!

Source: Quaker Oats

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
3 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup raisins*

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Combine butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until creamy. Add in eggs and vanilla and beat well. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and mix until well incorporated. Add oats and raisins and mix in by hand until evenly mixed. (A sturdy wooden spoon works well for this as the batter will be quite stiff.) Drop in rounded spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets and bake for approximately 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown. Cool for about a minute and then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Store in an airtight container. Recipe will yield about 4 dozen cookies depending on size.

Vanilla Rich Chip Cake

Source: McCormick

Ingredients:
1 pkg. (18 1/4 oz.) yellow cake mix
1 pkg. (4 serving size) vanilla instant pudding mix
1 cup sour cream (I used greek yogurt)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
4 eggs
1 tbl. pure vanilla extract
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat all ingredients, except chocolate chips, in a large bowl with electric mixer on low speed just to moisten. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes.

Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into greased and floured 12-cup bundt pan.

Bake 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10minutes. Invert cake onto wire rack. Cool completely.

Makes 16 servings.

Peanut Butter Tandy Kakes

Ingredients:
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking powder
2 cups flour
2 tsp. butter
1 cup hot milk
1.5 cups peanut butter
2 8oz. Hershey bars (I used 4 - I don't think 2 would be enough)

Directions:
Beat eggs. Add sugar, vanila, baking powder and flour. Melt butter in hot milk and add to batter. Pour mixture into greased jelly roll pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes.
Spread at once with peanut butter. Refrigerate until peanut butter is hard. Melt Hershey bars and spread on top. Refrigerate until chocolate is hard. Bring to room temperature before slicing into bars.

Christmas Bark

40 saltines (one sleeve)
2 sticks butter -- salted (not margarine)
1 cup brown sugar
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400*. Cover cookie sheet with foil. Line saltines on sheet (salt down). Melt butter and sugar and boil for three minutes. Pour over crackers and smooth. Place in oven and bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle chips on top -- spread till smooth with knife. Place in freezer and let cool. Break into pieces.

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

Source: halfmysize.com

3 medium bananas
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup fat-free cherry vanilla yogurt *
1 tsp table salt
2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 egg whites

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients. In another bowl, mix wet ingredients together. Add to dry ingredients to wet ingredients, stirring to incorporate well. Mash bananas and add to mix. Fold in chocolate chips. Spray loaf pan or bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Nutrition Information:
150 Cal., 2 g. fat, 2 g. fiber

Additional Tips -- *NOTE: If you have trouble finding cherry vanilla yogurt, you can substitute and use vanilla yogurt with great results

Lemon Cake

4 eggs
1 lemon cake mix
1 3oz. box lemon jello
3/4 c. water
3/4 c. oil
2 c. 10X sugar
juice of 2 lemons

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, jello and water. Beat at medium speed for 4 minutes. Add the cake mix and oil. Beat for another minute. Spray or grease a 9x13" baking pan and pour the batter in. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Test with a toothpick to make sure cake is done. While cake is still warm, prick all over with a fork. Mix together the 10X sugar and lemon juice. Pour over cake.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares

Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares

1 cup butter or margarine
4 cups confectioner’s sugar
2 cups peanut butter
1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs

Topping:
½ cup butter or margarine
1 cup chocolate chips


Melt 1 cup butter or margarine over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in confectioner’s sugar, peanut butter and graham cracker crumbs. Spread mixture in jelly roll pan. Pat down evenly.

For topping:

Melt together ½ cup butter or margarine with 1 cup chocolate chips. Spread over peanut butter mixture. Refrigerate ½ hour. Cut into squares.

Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

1 Pkg. Brownie Mix
1/3 C. Hot Water
1/4 C. Oil
3 Eggs
10 oz. Bag of mini peanut butter cups

Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine brownie mix, water, oil and eggs. Beat
well with spoonula.

Fill paper-lined mini muffin tin cups about 1/2 full. Press one peanut
butter cup into batter in each cup. Spoon enough batter on top to cover
peanut butter cup.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until brownie is set. Cool completely. Makes
40-48 pieces.

Brownie Truffle

Directions:
1. Bake brownie mix according to the box.
2. Cool and cut into small squares.
3. Mix 2 boxes of the Nestle Chocolate Mousse Mix according to box.
4. Layer brownies, mousse mix, cool whip, and morsels/candy to top
off dish.

Needed:
• Nestle Mini Morsels or Heath Bars chopped
• Large tub of cool whip
• Box of brownie mix
• Nestle Chocolate Mousse mix

Better Than Sex Cake

1 German Chocolate or Chocolate Cake Mix
7 oz. sweet condensed milk
¾ Cup caramel sauce
8 oz. cool whip
3-4 Heath bars

Bake cake according to directions and let cool.
Using handle of a wooden spoon (or any other round handled utensil) poke holes in cake (poke a lot in a grid pattern, that way more gets absorbed into the cake.)
Drizzle the condensed milk over the cake.
Drizzle caramel sauce over the cake.
Chill cake for an hour.
Spread cool whip all over the cake.
Pulverize candy bars into small pieces and sprinkle all over the cake.Keep refrigerated. For best results let sit overnight.